Fired after 15 years in nursing

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in Emergency.

I'm new to your site. I know this was posted a year ago but I am so glad to have found it! I was recently fired after 15 years of ED nursing. I always received excellent performance evaluations but I'm afraid I was too much of a patient advocate. I have no doubt that I was fired because of my outspokeness. The most troubling thing is the lies that my supervisors wrote about me and the fact that, as an "at will" employee, I don't seem to have any recourse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Asha -- OK, now go find yourself a much better place to work!

Forwards!

Good luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm new to your site. I know this was posted a year ago but I am so glad to have found it! I was recently fired after 15 years of ED nursing. I always received excellent performance evaluations but I'm afraid I was too much of a patient advocate. I have no doubt that I was fired because of my outspokeness. The most troubling thing is the lies that my supervisors wrote about me and the fact that, as an "at will" employee, I don't seem to have any recourse.
Hi,I know what you are going through, I am still involved in a lawsuit against my former employer after being fired in retaliation for whistleblowing/complaining about patient care issues.My state of Wisconsin has a whistleblower retaliation protection law. Dont lay down and die because you may THINK you have no recourse.You wont know until you have a consultation with an EMPLOYMENT lawyer, some will not charge you anything at all for the consultation and if they feel you have a strong case , they very well may take your case on contingency of winning, where no money is exchanged until you win, and if you dont win they dont get paid.Some state's retaliation laws actually provide for lawywer's fees to be paid by the employer if you win, again if you lose, no monies are paid. It is a long arduous ,nerve wracking process to go up against the hospital or nursing homes bulldog lawyers, BUT is worth it to me. Good luck, private message me if you want.
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Asha -- OK, now go find yourself a much better place to work!

Forwards!

Good luck.

Running may work for some, but what happens when there is no where left to run, you may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Nurses with strong convictions and a big mouth tend to make enemies of the administration WHERE EVER they go in todays healthcare industry.This will continue to happen until nurses become united and strong and can affect huge changes in this industry we choose to work in. We need a federal whistleblower retaliation protection law, that can extend the same strong protection for nurses across the country, not just select states.
Up Vote Up Vote ×

the problem is that so many nurses give up on speaking out and they take another job in the hopes that it will improve

the nurse who comes in to take their place will maybe be

more willing to look the other way and the patients suffer

forgive me i am a cynic

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
Running... Nurses with strong convictions and a big mouth tend to make enemies of the administration WHERE EVER they go...

Whoa there! No one's advocating running... only to proceed to finding a more suitable place to practice. If there are appropriate and fruitful avenues for the OP to present his/her viewpoint with some possibility of improvement, then by all means that may be worth pursuing. My concern focused on what many of our colleagues feel status post a firing. There are better places.

Also can't agree that every workplace is closed-minded to reasoned suggestions from staff. Not my experience anyway.

My best!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

OP and referring/quoting posts moved to single thread for a better response.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was fired recently also, after 8 years at this facility, for what I feel were bogus reasons too. That facility has been firing long-timers left and right, and they wonder why they can't keep staff. I took it as a sign from God that it was time for me to move on. I loved my years in the ER and wouldn't trade the experience for anything, but I decided to move on to another field and this week started at a home health agency. I love it so far!! It's a small company, privately owned, and the staff is wonderful. They are aware of what happened at my last job and they still actively and enthusiastically recruited me, so it wasn't the end of my world. Take this opportunity to expand into another field of nursing!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You are angry and in pain at being treated unfairly. We all understand and many of us have been there before. Please, take a deep breath, get some advice from an employment attorney if you feel truly you need to file a case, and attempt to move on. Tazzi is right, there are many door open to you. Good luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My three words of the day: hang in there. You'll find something better.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Running may work for some, but what happens when there is no where left to run, you may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Nurses with strong convictions and a big mouth tend to make enemies of the administration WHERE EVER they go in todays healthcare industry.This will continue to happen until nurses become united and strong and can affect huge changes in this industry we choose to work in. We need a federal whistleblower retaliation protection law, that can extend the same strong protection for nurses across the country, not just select states.

The only problem with Whistle-blower laws, is that they don't cover everything. They may keep you your job, but you can get denied for promotions, raises, they can put you in a horrible department, on a horrible shift, and pick your job apart until they have a valid, legal reason to fire you, pluss make your life a living hell on top of it.

The laws need to go much further.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in orthopaedics.

i am sure there is something better in store for you. there is a reason your job ended. though you may not see it now your future will be so much better because of it. i am sorry you are hurting. i hope you take the above posted adivce about seeking counsel. best of luck

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment